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Did you follow the Adventure Line all the way to the end, Stanley? Did you? Because if you had, we wouldn't be stuck here telling you about the new Vita Adventure Mega Pack that's coming to Europe this fall, now would we? You silly goose.

Anyway, it bundles in voucher codes for five games including Uncharted: Golden Abyss, TxK, Tearway,Gravity Rushand Escape Plan. It alsochucks in a 8GB memory card for good measure, and wraps up the lot in a 40 euro bow - that's normally the cost of a single new Vita game, Stanley. There's a new 200 euro Vita bundle that includes the handheld too.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bundleescape-planeuropegravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitarelease-datetearawaytxkuncharted-golden-abyssvitaFri, 22 Aug 2014 06:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/19/gravity-rush-may-fall-again-in-new-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/19/gravity-rush-may-fall-again-in-new-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/09/19/gravity-rush-may-fall-again-in-new-game/#comments
Team Gravity, the Sony Japan Studio group responsible for the topsy-turvy PlayStation Vita game, Gravity Rush, are working on a new project - and it resembles a sequel so far. Sony issued the brief teaser above, which asks us to "fall again" and shows Gravity Rush heroine Kat flying around a floating city - possibly a new city altogether.

Gravity Rush established itself as a top Vita game as soon as it launched in May of last year. In our review, we lauded Gravity Rush for its beautiful anime-inspired world and free-spirited flying.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gravitygravity-dazegravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitaps3pspsonysony-japan-studioteam-gravityvitaThu, 19 Sep 2013 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/kat-emmett-join-playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-feb-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/kat-emmett-join-playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-feb-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/kat-emmett-join-playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-feb-12/#commentsGravity Rush's Kat and Starhawk's Emmett Graves will be joining the fray as PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale's first DLC characters on February 12, Sony has announced. Both characters will be free for their first two weeks of availability, though their price point after the fact remains unknown.

As we learned during their initial reveal last December, both characters make heavy usage of the abilities their own games are based on, with Kat (above) manipulating gravity and Emmett summoning mining equipment, as seen after the break. Both characters sport the same amenities as the original cast: extra costumes, full arcade stories and trial modes, etc.

The previously announced Heavenly Sword/Wipeout stage has also been slated for February, though a specific release date or price was not provided. We're still holding out for a ship from Wipeout as a playable character.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emmett-gravesgravity-rushkatplaystationplaystation-all-stars-battle-royaleplaystation-vitaps3release-dateSCEASony-Computer-Entertainment-Americastarhawksuperbot-entertainmentvitaFri, 18 Jan 2013 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/gravity-rush-starhawk-characters-join-playstation-all-stars-as/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/gravity-rush-starhawk-characters-join-playstation-all-stars-as/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/15/gravity-rush-starhawk-characters-join-playstation-all-stars-as/#commentsA couple more all-stars are joining the PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale lineup after launch. Kat, also known as "Gravity Rush girl," and "Starhawk guy," whose real name is Emmett Graves apparently, will be released as DLC for the fighting game early next year.

Even better, upon their arrival, the two characters will be free for the first two weeks, meaning there's no reason you shouldn't make Emmett beat up on Parappa except for common decency. And best of all, perhaps the appearance of Kat in this game will prompt at least one person to pick up the wonderful Gravity Rush.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcgravity-rushplaystationplaystation-all-stars-battle-royaleplaystation-vitaps3starhawkvitaThu, 15 Nov 2012 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/gravity-rush-director-makes-reference-to-sequel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/gravity-rush-director-makes-reference-to-sequel/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/21/gravity-rush-director-makes-reference-to-sequel/#commentsGravity Rush won the "Games of the Year Division Grand Award" at this year's Japan Game Awards, held during the Tokyo Game Show. That's great news for the team at Sony who developed the Vita action game, but it leads to potentially great news for everyone who enjoyed it.

Speaking on Twitter, director Keiichiro Toyama said he would "do his best on the sequel." It's not clear from his statement whether the sequel is in progress now or just an idea, and Toyama couldn't go into further detail, but we're certainly ready for some new environments to turn upside down.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gravitygravity-dazegravity-rushjapan-game-awardkeiichiro-toyamaplaystationplaystation-vitavitaFri, 21 Sep 2012 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/3g-vita-coming-to-canada-in-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/3g-vita-coming-to-canada-in-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/11/3g-vita-coming-to-canada-in-october/#commentsWhile US gamers have had seven months to choose between the wi-fi and wi-fi/3G models of the PlayStation Vita, there's been but a single option in Canada. Next month, PlayStation fans up north will finally get a chance to discover that the 3G isn't all that useful, when the 3G Vita launches on October 2.

The PlayStation Vita 3G/Wi-Fi Launch Bundle will be released for $299.99 in Canada, and will include vouchers for Gravity Rush and Unit 13. Rogers is providing the 3G service, in two plans: 250 MB for $15 a month, or 5 GB for $35.

The 3G service allows you to use the "near" location-based app, browse the web, and connect to social networking apps like Facebook and Flickr when away from a wi-fi signal. It does not allow you to play games online or download games from the PlayStation Store.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3gcanadagravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitarelease-daterogersunit-13vitaTue, 11 Sep 2012 12:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/08/rumor-gravity-rushs-kat-in-playstation-all-stars-battle-royal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/08/rumor-gravity-rushs-kat-in-playstation-all-stars-battle-royal/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/09/08/rumor-gravity-rushs-kat-in-playstation-all-stars-battle-royal/#commentsThere isn't a lot to go on with this latest PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale character rumor, but if we've learned anything from the last few, it's that we should probably pay attention to leaks and speculation.

The above picture (full-sized and uncropped here) appears to show the PlayStation All-Stars character bio of Kat of Gravity Rush fame. The style is consistent with the official site's existing bios, but we were unable to locate Kat's bio ourselves through clever URL manipulations or otherwise. For now, we're keeping this in the "maybe" pile, but we'll also keep our ear to the ground and will update with any new information that surfaces.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Gravity-RushKatplaystationplaystation-all-stars-battle-royaleplaystation-vitaps3sony-santa-monicasuperbot-entertainmentvitaSat, 08 Sep 2012 12:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/amazon-drops-free-gravity-rush-in-with-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/amazon-drops-free-gravity-rush-in-with-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/30/amazon-drops-free-gravity-rush-in-with-vita/#commentsWe recommended Gravity Rushpretty enthusiastically. But we understand that not everyone has had a chance to play it, due to unfortunate factors like not owning it, and not owning a Vita to play it on.

That's where Amazon comes in. Through August 4, any purchase of a Vita will qualify the buyer for a free copy of Gravity Rush. Amazon is also throwing in a screen cover, which you'd want anyway to keep the dangers of the world from reaching that precious screen.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazongravitygravity-dazegravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitavitaMon, 30 Jul 2012 18:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/12/gravity-rush-dlc-detailed-buy-on-psn-this-week-for-military-pac/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/12/gravity-rush-dlc-detailed-buy-on-psn-this-week-for-military-pac/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/12/gravity-rush-dlc-detailed-buy-on-psn-this-week-for-military-pac/#commentsIf you didn't pre-order Gravity Rush on Amazon, you still have a shot at getting the "Military" DLC pack, with a new costume and new missions, for free. Purchasing the game on PSN during launch week (this week!) will get you that DLC for free. The PSN version is also slightly cheaper at $35.99. If you miss the DLC, it'll be released on July 24 for $3.99.

On June 26, you can get the "Spy Pack" for $3.99, adding two side missions, two challenge missions, and a "spy costume" ... which is a Catwoman suit. With a tail and everything. Sure. On July 10, you can get the "Maid Pack" with two more side missions, two more challenge missions, and another frustratingly inappropriate costume.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dlcgravitygravity-dazegravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitapsnvitaTue, 12 Jun 2012 13:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/gravity-rush-review-disorient-express/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/gravity-rush-review-disorient-express/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/gravity-rush-review-disorient-express/#commentsGravity Rush for PS Vita is a particular kind of superhero simulation I can't recall seeing before: not only is it an excellent approximation of what I imagine it's like to be a superhero, it approximates the life of a new superhero, with all the awkwardness that entails.

Protagonist Kat, who wakes up with no memories and a starfield-patterned cat companion that allows her to alter her personal gravity, is not terribly graceful with her abilities, as befits someone who just gained the power to fall in any direction. She is, however, immediately willing to help save her new friends from mysterious "gravity storms" eating away parts of the town, and the "Nevi" monsters that start creeping in, and her enthusiasm makes up for the growing pains.

Gravity Rush's art draws heavily from the Franco-Belgian comic book style bande dessinee, which is marked by exaggerating elements that the reader should pay the most attention to. For Gravity Rush, this means creating a large, lush world with multiple, vertical layers and buildings, done with a line drawing method that makes structures more easily recognized, art director Yoshiaki Yamaguchi writes on the PS Blog.

"The direction we chose to use for the game's graphics conveys the necessary information with exaggeration that matches the player's sensation," Yamaguchi says. "Taking that into consideration, we also wanted to use line drawings, the characteristic of BD and the simulation of beautiful air effects. I think the broader the game art expression becomes, the more interactive a game becomes."

The hue of the sky and concept of a living background, as Yamaguchi has previously gushed about, look to bring Gravity Rush's art full circle, even in its initial stages in the 2008 concept video above.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artbande-dessineecomic-bookfrenchgravitygravity-dazegravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitaSCE-Japan-Studiovitayoshiaki-yamaguchiWed, 02 May 2012 21:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/gravity-rush-demo-floats-to-psn-on-may-29-in-na-may-30-in-eu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/gravity-rush-demo-floats-to-psn-on-may-29-in-na-may-30-in-eu/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/16/gravity-rush-demo-floats-to-psn-on-may-29-in-na-may-30-in-eu/#commentsOnly five months after it landed on Japanese PlayStation Vitas, Sony's Gravity Rush will arrive on PlayStation Network in both North America and Europe. At least in demo form, that is. After a tweet from EU retailer GAME last week alleged a May 30 date for the game's EU demo, Sony confirmed to Joystiq today that the demo is set to arrive on NA and EU Vitas on May 29 and 30, respectively.

That leaves just under two weeks between the demo and the game's mid-June launch, though it's doubtful you'll need much time to decide that it's quite a game.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demogravitygravity-dazegravity-rushjapan-studioplaystationplaystation-networkplaystation-vitasony-japan-studiovitaMon, 16 Apr 2012 15:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/report-gravity-rush-demo-falling-to-european-vitas-on-may-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/report-gravity-rush-demo-falling-to-european-vitas-on-may-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/13/report-gravity-rush-demo-falling-to-european-vitas-on-may-30/#commentsYou'll forgive us, but every little drip of information about when we can play Gravity Rush is positively thrilling. Knowing that the game doesn't arrive until late June (ugh), we were totally psyched to see UK retailer GAME reporting a demo arriving on PSN on May 30.

Yes, that does mean we'll likely see a demo here in North America as well, it's just a question of when. We've reached out to Sony to find out (as well as to confirm the EU demo date) and will update this post as soon as we hear more.

In the meantime, might we suggest rewatching the mesmerizing trailer for Gravity Rush just above? That's a pretty thrilling journey for a little apple!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demoeuropegravitygravity-dazegravity-rushjapan-studioplaystationplaystation-vitasony-japan-studiovitaFri, 13 Apr 2012 11:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/gravity-rush-started-life-as-a-ps3-title-inspired-by-crackdown/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/gravity-rush-started-life-as-a-ps3-title-inspired-by-crackdown/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/15/gravity-rush-started-life-as-a-ps3-title-inspired-by-crackdown/#commentsWhen Sony's internal Japan Studio set out to work on Gravity Rush (Gravity Daze in Japan), the game was positioned as a PlayStation 3 title. According to an interview with the US PlayStation Blog, the team "came across PS Vita along the way" and realized it was "perfect for the game."

That's not the weird part, though. The game's primary influence is cited as Realtime Worlds' 2007 Xbox 360 game, Crackdown. "I really like the aspect of unlocking skills and becoming more powerful, and achieving a higher level of freedom as you become more powerful," one team member said. "I enjoyed moving in that game." Given that Gravity Rush is an open world game in a third-person view with an upgradable character, the comparison makes sense. Both games feature unrealistic art styles accentuating the fantastical gameplay, making their crossover even clearer.

While Gravity Daze has been out for a bit in Japan, Gravity Rush won't float to US shores for another few months.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>crackdowngravitygravity-dazegravity-rushinfluencejapan-studioplaystationplaystation-vitaps3realtime-worldssony-japan-studiovitaThu, 15 Mar 2012 12:10:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/final-thoughts-from-gdc-how-jrpgs-can-dance-to-reisuke-ishidas/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/final-thoughts-from-gdc-how-jrpgs-can-dance-to-reisuke-ishidas/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/final-thoughts-from-gdc-how-jrpgs-can-dance-to-reisuke-ishidas/#commentsThis is a column by Kat Bailey dedicated to the analysis of the once beloved Japanese RPG sub-genre. Tune in every Wednesday for thoughts on white-haired villains, giant robots, Infinity+1 swords, and everything else the wonderful world of JRPGs has to offer.

For all the discussion about the dire straits the Japanese game industry finds itself in, my lasting image of GDC 2012 will be of a Japanese developer who got so excited about his projects that he literally started dancing at his podium.

That developer was Taito's Reisuke Ishida (Space Invaders Infinity Gene), and he was in town to host a talk titled simply, 'Five Techniques for Making an Unforgettable Game.' No self-flagellation about the declining quality of Japanese gaming here; just Ishida running between the two screens on either side of his podium as he danced to the trailer of Groove Coaster. I find Reisuke Ishida's enthusiasm for the craft infectious, to say the least.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GDC-2012gravity-rushgroove-coasterReisuke-IshidaWed, 14 Mar 2012 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/art-in-service-of-gameplay-gravity-rush/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/art-in-service-of-gameplay-gravity-rush/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/09/art-in-service-of-gameplay-gravity-rush/#commentsSony's next big internally developed PlayStation Vita game, Gravity Rush, is still a few months from launch in North America. In Japan, however, the game has been out since early February, freeing up art director Yoshiaki Yamaguchi to present his work on the already completed game to a room of GDC 2012 attendees this morning.

Yamaguchi spoke of how cel shading and creating a living world helped to service the project's open world gameplay. "The color of the sky provides information about location or acts as sort of like a symbol for that place. However, just simply applying a layer of color would be too direct or too strong, and may even feel out of place," he said. "So we crafted this atmospheric sort of simulation to give it a more natural feel and appeal."

The result, as shown off during the presentation, is a vibrant, painterly world that can be fully interacted with by the player. Yamaguchi said the team at Sony's Japan Studio pushed for an open world from the beginning of the project, as seen in the first concept video above (revealed for the first time during his GDC panel).

The game's main character saw more of an evolution than the game world, in fact. Seen after the break, Kat saw several iterations before the team settled on a definitive look that would represent a "strong female" as well as a "strong ninja."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artart-directiongravitygravity-rushjapan-studioplaystationplaystation-vitasonysony-computer-entertainmentvitayoshiaki-yamaguchiFri, 09 Mar 2012 16:35:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/vitas-gravity-rush-drops-in-north-america-june-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/vitas-gravity-rush-drops-in-north-america-june-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/29/vitas-gravity-rush-drops-in-north-america-june-12/#commentsNeither Sony, with its initial "launch window" estimate, nor retailers, with late May targets, were quite right about Gravity Rush's North American release date. The publisher revealed the real date for the action game on the PlayStation Blog today: June 12 -- just over four months after the Japanese release.

While you wait for your chance to fling yourself around a stylized city, constantly reorienting the pull of gravity, we suggest watching this new trailer. Despite the claims it makes, we've heard nothing about the game's ability to give you supernatural apple powers.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gravitygravity-rushplaystationplaystation-vitaq2-2012release-datevitaWed, 29 Feb 2012 11:56:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/retailers-think-gravity-rush-is-out-on-may-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/retailers-think-gravity-rush-is-out-on-may-29/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/12/retailers-think-gravity-rush-is-out-on-may-29/#commentsWe've been under the impression that Gravity Rush was slated to reorient our Newtonian perspectives sometime during the Vita launch window, but Amazon and Gamestop disagree, listing the title's release date as May 29, which is quite a ways away from the Vita's February 22 launch.

We called a local Gamestop to confirm the listing, and an employee informed us that Gravity Rush has a "ship date" of May 30 in their system, which lines up just about right. It's entirely possible that the end of May is within Sony's definition of the Vita's release window, but we won't know what's the dealio really-o until Sony elaborates on the game's "TBD" release date.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>amazongamestopgravitygravity-rushJapan-Studioplaystationplaystation-vitarelease-dateSony-Computer-EntertainmentvitaSun, 12 Feb 2012 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/get-in-touch-with-vita-launch-titles-with-ten-new-trailers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/get-in-touch-with-vita-launch-titles-with-ten-new-trailers/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/13/get-in-touch-with-vita-launch-titles-with-ten-new-trailers/#comments
Sony sent out a bunch of trailers for first-party launch Vita games, focusing on the Vita-specific features each game uses. The good news: we see clever combinations of controls here, like Escape Plan's "pinch" of both the front and back touch panels. And Gravity Rush looks really neat regardless of how it's controlled.

The bad news: we're not nearly mature enough to see ten references to "front touch" and "rear touch" without giggling. If that's how Sony is going to refer to those features permanently, we're going to have a problem at press events.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>escape-plangravitygravity-rushhot-shots-golf-world-invitationalhustle-kingslittle-deviantslittlebigplanet-vitaplaystationplaystation-vitareality-fighterssuper-stardust-deltauncharted-golden-abyssvitawipeout-2048Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:29:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/uncharted-killzone-resistance-lbp-ngp-psp2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/uncharted-killzone-resistance-lbp-ngp-psp2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/27/uncharted-killzone-resistance-lbp-ngp-psp2/#commentsSony's bringing out its biggest guns for its new little game machine, the device currently known as "NGP." A slide revealed franchises currently in development for the newly announced handheld, including familiar names like Hot Shots Golf, LittleBigPlanet, WipEout, Killzone, Resistance, and PS3 showpiece Uncharted. Sony's Shuhei Yoshida showed off the Uncharted game, and revealed some controls new to the series: you can touch the screen (or press X) to jump, swing the NGP back and forth to swing on vines, and climb using the device's rear touch panel "as if you're climbing a vine with both hands."